In this workshop, participants engaged with and reflected on authentic artifacts from data modeling projects related to the solar system and to deforestation that were completed by elementary students in grade 5 (average age 11). These authentic examples were used to ground a discussion of using a data modeling approach to help elementary students make sense of and meaningful integrated use of mathematics and science concepts and tools. School-based ways of helping teachers understand this approach in order to be able to use it in their classrooms were also discussed.

A number of recent efforts to improve mathematics instruction have focused on professional development activities designed to promote changes in teachers' practice that are consistent with the standards of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics [NCTM]. Since teacher beliefs can have a significant influence on what teachers do in their classroom, this study investigated the impact of an alternative form of professional teacher development designed to impact both general and personal teacher efficacy beliefs toward the use of Standards-based mathematics. A professional teacher development study group [PDSG] was formed that consisted of a facilitator/participant and six elementary teachers who were interested in improving their mathematics instruction. The group met over a period of six months in eight sessions to examine their own mathematical thinking and beliefs as well as the mathematical thinking of children. Results indicated that general and personal teacher efficacy changed in a positive direction toward the use of Standards-based mathematics. These results suggest that the implementation of mathematics reform may be facilitated when teachers have the opportunity to engage in a PDSG specifically designed to attend to teacher efficacy beliefs and support positive changes in those beliefs.

Many university language programs draw on undergraduate as well as graduate students to conduct their courses. These student instructors do not always have adequate pedagogical preparation or experience. Past research suggests that conducting peer observations followed by a group reflection on basic teaching practice would help teachers become more aware of their own teaching. This research aims to investigate whether peer coaching followed by peer reflection meetings increases instructor effectiveness and confidence, as well as whether it is the observations or the reflections that encourage teachers to think more critically and improve their teaching.

Cultivating preservice teachers' reflection on their practice has been a major objective in teacher education over the last twenty years. Teacher educators have designed a number of activities, usually related to coursework, to facilitate preservice teachers' reflectivity. These kinds of assignments might be described as asking preservice teachers to reflect on demand. Studies in the past have typically focused on the discussion of specific strategies used to elicit reflection or descriptions of reflective teacher education programs. This study explored how preservice and first-year teachers understand and engage in reflection in different contexts while learning to teach. A sample of seventeen respondents, education students enrolled in coursework, student teachers, and first-year teachers, was selected to participate in the study. The data consisted of interviews, classroom observations and the examination of related documents. Preservice teachers taking courses engaged in introspection or self-reflection. This time was spent exploring their emerging identities as teachers. As respondents got opportunities to work in school settings, they began to reflect more on content and students. First-year teachers applied some of the reflective strategies they learned during coursework in their own practice. Several factors appeared to enhance preservice and first-year teachers' ability to reflect as they moved from coursework into student teaching and their own classrooms: (1) building relationships with teachers and students in K--12 classrooms, (2) engaging in reflective dialogue with 'more knowledgeable others'---university faculty and practitioners, and (3) having opportunities to teach on a regular basis.

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Two trends have increased the importance of cross-boundary teaming in schools. School educators face more interdisciplinary tasks and problems. They are also further required to include diverse voices derived from students’ greater demographic diversity toward creating culturally inclusive school education. In light of this, cross-boundary teaming—where members share, leverage, and integrate divergent knowledge derived from different functional and demographic backgrounds to resolve shared tasks and problems—becomes an important form of collaboration for school members and especially School Leadership Teams (SLTs). Yet few studies in education leadership have directly informed the actual practice of SLTs’ cross-boundary teaming, which is largely defined from the cultural and political perspectives that mainly stress the team/organization’s structural conditions. Therefore, by employing Edmondson and Harvey’s (2018) model highlighting the functional and agency perspective, I explored one SLT’s cross-boundary teaming practice in depth. To achieve this goal, I selected one teacher leadership team (TLT) in one New York City public middle school and conducted a single case study with various coding techniques. I found that the TLT engaged in the five cross-boundary teaming practices by differentiating its team dynamics to address five challenging situation types derived from different patterns of knowledge boundary types in connection with their team contexts. The five cross-boundary teaming practices included (a) developing shared pools of meanings, (b) mixed use of deep-knowledge sharing and rapid knowledge co-construction, (c) distributing team leadership, (d) managing external boundary with their administrators, and (e) activating different challenging situations at the team level. The five cross-teaming practices overall suggested that TLT’s team dynamics—which I conceptualized as two learning layers—were varied, depending on the five knowledge boundary types along with their team contexts. I believe that by suggesting one TLT’s specific team-learning interactions and mindsets through two learning layers, my findings contribute to complementing the limitations of the existing literature on SLTs to further help SLTs work effectively. Furthermore, by empirically demonstrating one TLT’s cross-boundary teaming, I believe my findings contribute to extending Edmondson and Harvey’s (2018) conceptual model—which illuminates knowledge boundaries as another important factor navigating team dynamics and increasing team effectiveness in the context of interdisciplinary teams.

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During post-conflict reconstruction, various roles are bestowed on teachers to manage the effects of violence such as peace educator, conflict resolution expert, counsellor and so on. However, there are no empirical studies that examine what teachers actually do when faced with the challenges of post-conflict schooling. More importantly, most policies often neglect the fact that teachers are not necessarily neutral in conflict. Whilst being professionals, many are also political and social beings that come from the community they serve. Surely the tension between their personal beliefs and professional practice has some impact on how teachers deal with the effects of conflict. This research investigates how teachers, who maintain a reflexive relationship with their community, feel about transforming their role to manage the effects of ethnic conflict. The case of Kenya offers a suitable context in which to research this particular phenomenon because of its continuous association with conflict, consequent corrosion in ethnic relations, and increasing ethnic segregation in education systems. Employing a case study strategy, data was collected using semi-structured interviews and document analysis. The sample size consisted of twenty head teachers and seventy teachers and counsellors from government secondary schools in Nakuru and Kericho. Analysis of the data suggests that ethnic tensions have seeped into schools affecting not only peer relationships but also teacher-student interactions. These tensions and fears continue to impair teachers from actively participating in schools and assuming the role of managing the effects of the conflict. Aside from this, various other factors in their classroots realities shape the manner in which they deal with the effects of the conflict. Some of these factors include external support, professional capacity, their purpose and motivation as well as the school culture. This research concludes that teachers require adequate support and guidance from their head teacher in order to conceptualise their role in relation to managing the effects of violence. While the focus of external institutions is on relaying concepts of ‘peace’ and ‘conflict resolution’ to the students, there is merit in taking a more gradual approach and equipping teachers with the necessary skills and knowledge to teach these concepts. Moreover, teachers too require space to confront their own biases and prejudices towards other groups in order to assume these new roles. Finally, the creation of support networks is essential during post-conflict reconstruction as it ensures that teachers and students are provided with the necessary guidance, knowledge, and assistance in the absence of support from the state.

Research has identified job context, specific attributes of professional development (PD), and perceived teacher input as factors that contribute to teachers' attitudes. This sequential mixed methods study tested those findings together and further investigated teachers' beliefs and attitudes about their own professional learning. The first phase of data collection included a 5-item attitude survey, demographic information, and two short-answer questions. Multiple regression analysis of the sample (N = 328) showed four statistically significant contributors to teacher attitude: (i) socioeconomic status of the school, (ii) teacher years of experience at the campus, (iii) content area taught, and (iv) degree attained by the teacher. During the second phase, six focus groups were conducted which confirmed earlier findings and revealed four themes in teachers' attitudes: (1) a need and desire for collaborative, engaging PD; (2) perceived interference from outside forces that supplant teachers' own PD goals and wishes; (3) a need to establish a context and a cohesive plan for long-term career and campus goals; and (4) a subgroup of teachers who believe that PD has little inherent value. Limitations and implications are included.